The Merits of Time Travel
by InnocentLittleDarkAngel
Summary: Harry gets stuck in the past (what a surprise...) with Severus Snape, someone who can't seem to stand the sight of him. He wants to find a way back; or does he? Will someone(or someones?) convince him he doesn't need to leave? Can he truly be happy in the past? That'll teach him not to touch things without knowing what they do... Rated M for later chapters. Request-fic.
1. Chapter 1

**_Hello, my wonderful readers! How are you all doing? *distributes hugs and cookies* I have started something new, and totally different than my usual one-shots! *throws hands in the air dramatically* This is a request-fic_ _for_** vampygurl402**_. Give my first requester a round of applause! *claps excitedly because I've been drinking Monster* This will also be multi-chaptered. *gasps* Okay, enough dramatics, loves! ...I forgot what I was going to say, so... *shrugs* Enjoy, please, and REVIEW! Aaaaaand...don't forget to vote on my poll for a special Valentine's Day fic!  
><em>**

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><p><em>Finally<em>, Harry thought, adding the next ingredient to his potion, the blood of some poor creature Harry couldn't remember.

It was the Friday before the Christmas holidays, and Harry Potter couldn't wait to leave Potions class, his last class of the day, in favor of packing to stay the entire Christmas break with his godfather, Sirius Black. After the Triwizard Tournament in his fourth year when Voldemort had resurrected, Sirius had been given his freedom when Harry had been questioned under Veritaserum by Aurors and confessed to seeing Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail, at the graveyard. The man, if he could be called that, had immediately been arrested and thrown into Azkaban in a special cell that prevented animagus transformation. The traitor would be there for the rest of his pathetic life.

Lost in his thoughts, Harry didn't notice when Draco Malfoy surreptitiously dropped a random ingredient into his cauldron. He did notice when the potion started to bubble, however. He barely had time to shout out a warning and attempt to cover his face before the entire thing exploded, splattering a few drops on his tan skin and burning him. The teen didn't seem to notice. Everyone else had managed to duck in time, thankfully.

Professor Snape stood up furiously from where he had taken refuge behind his desk. "Did anyone get the potion on themselves?"

Everyone shook their heads.

Snape's gaze swung to him. Harry gulped.

"See me after class, Potter," the professor said softly, just as the last bell of the day rang. "Start cleaning this mess first. Class dismissed."

Most of the students rushed out, happy to leave the cold dungeons and get ready for the holidays.

"I feel sorry for you, mate," Ron muttered, patting the brunette's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Harry. Professor Snape can't keep you for too long; it's almost dinner. We'll save you a seat if you're late, okay?" Hermione soothed, hugging him briefly and leaving the class with Ron.

The sixteen-year-old sighed, taking out his wand and vanishing the messy potion and melted cauldron. His arm stung in a few places, notifying him of the fact that the botched potion hadn't missed him. He had been the only one left standing, after all. What had he expected?

The skin that had been touched by the potion was an angry red and some looked badly burned and would likely scar. Biting his lower lip, Harry decided to see Madame Pomfrey about the burns later. He didn't know what the potion might do to his skin, but he definitely did not want to anger Severus Snape.

Harry hoisted his bag onto his shoulder and walked across the classroom to Professor Snape's office. The door was marginally open, giving the raven-haired teen a view of his professor's broad back, seeing as Snape was turned away from him, hands behind his back. Not knowing exactly what to do, Harry knocked on the door. The man turned and walked to the door.

"You'll be coming with me to the Headmaster's office" was all he said. He walked briskly out the door and into the corridor.

Harry nodded and hurried to catch up.

Reaching the gargoyle guarding the entrance, Snape muttered the password and led Harry to the door of the office. The professor knocked sharply, but was met with silence on the other side. Frowning, he tried opening the door, surprised when it opened. He reluctantly motioned Harry inside and they both looked around the empty office for Dumbledore.

There was a note on his desk, saying he had to leave on an emergency trip and would be back after dinner. Severus scowled. Now what would he do with the Potter brat?

A muted hiss caught his attention. The raven-haired student was bent over a bit near the door, clutching his arm and wincing ever so slightly.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Potter?" The black-clad professor walked over, grabbing Harry's arm in a surprisingly gentle manner and inspecting it.

The burns were more of a dark pink than vivid red now, but a few of the worst looked raw and ready to bleed. Severus glared at the teen.

"Why did you not notify me immediately of your burns? I had specifically asked the entire class if they had been hit with the potion, Mr. Potter. What gave you the idiotic idea to not say so?"

Harry flinched when the professor pressed his wand to his arm, but sighed softly when the burns were slowly healed. "I hadn't noticed the potion had managed to explode onto me, Professor. I didn't feel pain until a few minutes ago."

"Very well. Now, I see no point in us lingering here. The Headmaster is obviously not available; we shall have to meet with him at another time," the older male said, turning and striding towards the door.

A shrill cry and a gasp made him turn. Harry was staring at Fawkes, who was perched delicately on a glowing glass ball. The phoenix chirped again and seemed to motion Harry forward.

"Hello, Fawkes. What do you have there?" Harry murmured, approaching slowly and picking up the glass sphere, which just seemed to glow brighter.

"Potter, no!" Severus yelled, running forward and grabbing onto the teen's arm just as they were whisked away, both disappearing.

Fawkes trilled happily and closed his eyes to sleep, knowing no one would notice their disappearance.

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><p>Harry groaned as he landed with a thud. He didn't know if whatever he had touched was a portkey, but it had felt just as horrible. As soon as he saw Fawkes again, he was going to throttle the damned bird.<p>

An answering groan next to him snapped him from his thoughts.

"Professor Snape?" he mumbled, sitting up a bit.

"As soon as I figure out where we have been transported by that bloody glass ball, Potter, I will then proceed to Avada Kedavra you," came the reply to his right.

_That's definitely Snape_, Harry thought drily. He opened his eyes, taking in his environment. The vast room looked eerily like the Great Hall at Hogwarts, except everything newer, as if it had just been built. The House tables also looked smaller, as did the teachers' table. _Where the hell are we?_

"Potter, do you have any idea where we've ended up?" the professor asked quietly, standing up and looking down at Harry.

"Why do you assume that _I _know where we are?!" Harry retorted, standing as well and brushing dirt off his robes.

"Because you are the one who got us into this mess in the first place by being too trusting of that bird!"

"Well, sorry for not imitating you and being suspicious of everything and everyone around me!" Harry took out his wand, casting a _Tempus _to check the time.

7:37 pm, Friday, December 10, 0964.

"What the hell…?" Harry breathed, drawing Severus's attention to the words floating in the air.

"Good going, Potter. You brought us more than a century back in time," he hissed.

"_I _didn't do it," the teen said hotly, cancelling the _Tempus _and putting his wand away. "Fawkes wanted me to take the glass ball. What I don't understand is why."

"This place looks a lot like the Great Hall of Hogwarts," Severus noted.

"But _why _would we be here?" Harry asked again.

"That's what I'd like to know as well," a new voice said.

Harry and Severus whirled around, coming face to face with a young, _alive _Salazar Slytherin. The man held his wand out, the tip glowing softly. The other three Founders were behind him, also brandishing their wands.

"Now, tell me, who the hell are you, and what are you doing here?!"

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><p><strong><em>There! What did you all think of the first chappie? Good? Bad? Should I hang myself?<br>_**

**_Snape: Just review already, all of you, before she dies of depression...on second thought, don't review. *smirks like the evil bastard he is to the authoress*_**

**_Baby Draco (cuz I felt like making him a baby!) : Mamma! *reaches for authoress*_**

**_Me: Awww! *picks adorable baby up* Who's my wittle baby? *starts cooing and walks off*  
><em>**

**_Harry: *peeks into screen and raises eyebrow* Um, review? For the sake of her sanity?_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hello, my loves! *hugs everyone* Sorry for not updating in a month... I feel like you all just now ignore my apologies, since I never really fix my problems. *shrugs* I had written the chapter ages ago, but I wasn't satisfied with it, so I rewrote certain scenes again and again, and now I'm fairly confident with it.**_

_**Last chapter, a few people pointed out that I had mistakenly said 'century' when it should've said 'millennium'. Sorry! I would go back and fix it, but if you hadn't noticed the slip, you'll know now and I don't feel the need to change the word. Something you guys should know is that my work isn't beta-read/edited. I edit my work as best as possible, but mistakes slip by all the time.**_

_**Warning for future: You guys don't really need this as you should already know it, but I'll say it anyway. I mess around with EVERYTHING, from timeline to characters to details. Nothing is as it should be...but then again, you're still all here, right?**_

_**AND...this is for a reviewer who didn't have an account for me to reply to them. Um, this is a request-fic, which means I write what is asked of me. I don't control the main pairing, so the way the characters are gonna pair up will stay, kay? I can plot the story, and the details, but there are limitations to how I can have the story be. I can't prevent one character from being with another because**_** _they need to be with that person(s). It's sort of a requirement. Though I see how your idea would be good in any other situation, unfortunately, I can't implement it here. Sorry. :/_**

**_ENJOY!_**

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><p><em><strong>Last time on <strong>__The Merits of Time Travel__**…**_

"_**Now, tell me, who the hell are you, and what are you doing here?"**_

_Wow_, Harry though, not flinching at the fact that he was currently at wand-point. _They're asking questions first and not just cursing us out of existence? You'd think they would at least take our wands or make sure we aren't armed…._

As if Fate, or someone of equal higher power, had heard his thoughts and wanted to spite him, no sooner had he thought that when he saw a bright flash of a curse coming toward him and Snape before he blacked out.

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><p>When Harry finally woke up, it was to the sound of hushed voices arguing.<p>

"We can't just kick them out! We don't even know what their purpose for being here is. You need to at least give them the benefit of the doubt, Salazar. You handled it terribly back there; couldn't you have given them the chance to, oh, I don't know, _answer your damned question_?" an exasperated voice hissed close to his bed.

"How the hell can I give them the benefit of the doubt when they appeared here the way they did, Helga? The wards should've prevented their entry, and Hogwarts also should've forced them out the moment she felt their presence inside the castle." The voice was furious, and the accent seemed to be bordering on Parseltongue. Salazar Slytherin. Harry listened closer, not giving away that he was awake.

"Maybe they're here for a reason?" a new voice offered. It was feminine, so, assuming there was no other female staff at Hogwarts at this point in time, it was most likely Rowena Ravenclaw.

A scoff, silence, and a pair of retreating footsteps gave Harry enough courage to slit open one of his eyes slowly. He was grateful he had had his eyesight corrected long ago, since now he could see every detail of the occupants in the room he was in.

The only person he saw was a female. She was short, with a petite build and light blonde hair that fell in curly ringlets. Her face was turned away, but he guessed her eyes were the same silver-gray he had seen in pictures and paintings of her. Helga Hufflepuff.

She was staring off into space, her small face scrunched into a worried frown. The raven-haired teen quickly closed his eye again when he heard footsteps approaching.

"So? What has he said about our surprise visitors?" As it was the only male voice he hadn't yet put a name to, it was probably Godric Gryffindor.

"As if you don't know," Hufflepuff snorted. "Good thing all the students are gone for the holidays, or else we would've had a much bigger problem."

"True," Gryffindor agreed, then added in a snigger, "Sal has reverted to cursing in Parseltongue, and who-knows-what else he's muttering to himself."

A giggle came from Helga. Harry felt the urge to announce he was awake, but refrained from moving.

"I could've sworn Salazar had bloody hearts in his eyes when he saw the green-eyed one," Godric murmured suddenly, surely directing his gaze at Harry's stiff form.

Well, that was a surprise. If Harry hadn't been so focused on not being detected awake, he would've gasped in shock.

Helga was silent for a moment. "Do you think so? It looked to me like he wanted to kill the poor lad."

"Nah. It was pure emotion, Hel, trust me. We all know Salazar's a bloody romantic, but he hides it too well, so he wouldn't want us to see how much he probably likes the little one. Besides, green-eyes can't be more than fifteen."

_I'm __**sixteen**__, thank you very much_, Harry thought indignantly.

"But didn't you see how the dark one was looking at the boy?" Helga asked.

_With hatred, maybe?_ was Harry's bitter thought.

"Oh, I wasn't the only one who caught that? Good. It may pose some trouble for Sal if the kid's taken or wanted by that one."

_WHAT?! Great Merlin, I don't need a past Salazar Slytherin lusting after me! And I most certainly don't want to know what they mean about Snape. Okay, I am __**definitely**__ thinking this over when I have time…._

"Well, I guess we'll see how this plays out," Helga's soft voice spoke. "If what you say is true, and they stay, maybe…."

The woman's voice faded out, seeming to have lost track of her thought.

"Yeah," Godric answered. "Maybe."

Once again, retreating footsteps told Harry it was safe to open his eyes. Emerald-green eyes, now both fully revealed, caught sight of Severus Snape asleep on his right side. The Hogwarts infirmary (at least, it looked to be the infirmary) looked relatively the same as in the future. Godric was gone, but Helga was standing in front of a potions cabinet on her tiptoes, not quite able to reach the vials of healing concoction.

"You can just summon the one you want, you know," he spoke nonchalantly, startling the young woman so badly she jumped and shrieked.

Helga whirled around, hand covering her ample chest over her heart. "You're awake," she said breathlessly.

Harry nodded, giving an apologetic smile as he sat up slowly. "Sorry for scaring you."

"It's fine. I'm just a bit jumpy. Didn't expect you to be the first to wake, either, actually," she rambled slightly, walking over to him to check him over.

"Well, I'd expect him to be awake already, and he's probably been awake for a while, and he's been listening in to all the conversations," the teen said, smirking over at his professor and snickering when the man opened his dark eyes to glare at him.

"Yes, very observant of you, Mister Potter. Ten points to Gryffindor," Snape sneered as he sat up as well.

Hufflepuff gasped. "You mean you're a student here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Wait, _Potter_?!"

Both males paled. Too much had been said. How were they going to explain their sudden appearance in the past (I mean, even _they _don't know for sure!), especially since the name Potter had already been dropped? Snape was a muggle surname, but Potter was the name of a long generation of purebloods. Harry's however-many-times great-grandfather probably was currently attending Hogwarts.

"What…exactly is going on here?" Helga asked slowly. "I've never seen you here before, yet your surname is Potter. I know of only one Potter child, and he's a first year here. You're…where did you come from?"

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><p><strong><em>So? Whatcha think? Review to let me know how good, bad, or 'meh' it was. Remember, loves, I've not even begun, so stick around, eh? I now leave you with this cliffie!<em>**

**_Baby Draco (I've become quite attached...): Bye-bye! *waves tiny hand*_**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Uh...salut, amours. I'm not dead...? *tries to smile but fails as I duck behind my couch* I'm sorry I'm so inconsistent, guys, but I had a hard year. Life got in the way so many times; school was a bitch, I got too into drugs for a while, got sent to the psych ward on suicide watch on a 51-50, my dad got cancer, and on top of that, writer's block hit me harder than ever. Luckily, **__**this **__**New Year should start off better. I'm pretty much back for good, since I've had more inspiration and time on my hands. And I'm happier. Some of the people in my life have taken an interest in my writing, and though you guys are all super special to me, seeing and hearing my friends say they love my work and want more is uplifting after all my depression. Thank you all who have decided to stick with me, and I'm once again sorry for all the time you had to wait for this. I hope the chapter isn't too bad, so please drop me a quick review saying what you think, please? Love you guys; on with the show!**_

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><p>Quick Note: When someone says 'ish' (mostly Harry), it's just something that I tend to say often that meant kindasorta/vaguely/so-so/etc. Don't be confused.

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><p><strong><em>Last time on <em>**_The Merits of Time Travel__**…**_

**_"_****_What…exactly is going on here?" Helga asked slowly. "I've never seen you here before, yet your surname is Potter. I know of only one Potter child, and he's a first year here. You're…where did you come from?"_**

The wizards in front of her just sort of stared at her in horror, seemingly not breathing. It was silent for a few tense moments before the door to the infirmary burst open, the doors banging against the walls, and Godric Gryffindor strode in.

The man was tall, with obvious muscles rippling beneath his casual robes and burgundy/brown hair that fell in tousled waves to brush at the top of his broad shoulders. His bright green eyes reflected the light in the room, twinkling with mirth.

"Hey, Helga, you should've-," Godric froze, taking in the woken guests. "Oh, you're awake! Perfect timing, green-eyes! Sal's coming in for interrogation time and Rowena's itching to grill you for information. By the way, how's the head? You kinda hit it a bit hard when you went down, though I'm sure you didn't notice."

The Gryffindor's cheery voice broke the tension and made Helga laugh while Harry flushed as he remembered the Founders' conversation earlier about him and Salazar. He really needed to find the time to analyze that.

"Helga, I've waited long enough. I don't care what you have to do, you must wake up the-"

Slytherin entered, his voice irritated and accented with Parseltongue. He finally caught sight of Harry and Severus and the words died on his tongue. He looked unsure for a moment before his eyes hardened into a glare and he pulled a vial from the pocket in his robes.

"I've brought Veritaserum to interrogate our…guests," he sneered.

"Now, now, Salazar, get that nasty look off your face and say hello to our guests in a gentlemanly manner," Godric snickered. "It's not like they tried to attack us even though we were relatively taken by surprise. They could've attacked us long before we realized they were even here."

The answering glare the Gryffindor received would've made weaker men cower. As it was, all Salazar got was a smirk.

"Now, while I de-traumatize the people now under our care, you can go fetch Rowena from the library we all know she is in," the redhead continued, striding over to the slimmer man and pushing him toward the door. He opened the door, pushed Salazar out, and slammed it in the other's face with a satisfied grin.

"Now," he turned toward Harry, his eyes twinkling madly, "do tell us all about yourselves."

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><p>Salazar grumbled as he walked down the halls to the Hogwarts library, where Rowena would surely be as Godric said. He couldn't believe the audacity of that insufferable man! To actually physically remove him from the infirmary, especially in front of their hostages- er, guests.<p>

"Rowena, the…guests…are awake, and Godric requires you to be there for their interrogation," Salazar bit out, his infamous sneer firmly in place.

"Of course," she hurried to wave her wand at a large pile of books next to her, which promptly vanished.

Their walk to the infirmary was silent, but as they approached, they heard an increase in volume of voices. They picked up their pace, where they were able to hear the last part of the conversation before they entered.

"-can't exactly tell you. You see, it's kind of complicated, and we don't really know ourselves." The voice was young, so it was most likely the green-eyed boy who had said that.

"Well, whatever you _do_ know, you'll be able to say after we give you Veritaserum," Salazar spoke briskly, as if being in the boy's presence didn't unnerve him.

"Isn't it illegal to dose minors with Veritaserum?" the boy asked warily.

Helga snorted. "Yes, but Sal doesn't care what the ministry says. It may be immoral, but he'll do it anyway if he thinks it's justified. I personally think-"

"_I _personally think he's being stupid," Godric butted in. "Seriously, Sal, have some mercy on poor green-eyes. Isn't his adorable face enough to convince you?" He reached over to the young boy and pinched his cheek playfully, moving his face so it seemed like he was shaking his head.

The boy flushed a dark crimson, not seeming to like being the center of attention, casting a pleading glance at his companion, then glaring at Helga who was snickering into her small hands.

"I think you should leave the kid alone, Godric. You're making him uncomfortable," Rowena finally spoke coolly. Her icy blue eyes were taking in every detail of the newcomers, profiling them with just her gaze. Her dark curtain of straight, raven-black hair fell to just her shoulders, giving her a stern look. She was tall and thin, making her look all the more imposing when in comparison to the small Hufflepuff. "You know, you look a lot like a Potter."

"Funny you should say that," Helga muttered. "He just so happens to actually _be _a Potter."

Ravenclaw smirked at her correct deduction. Godric rolled his eyes, then looked down at the green-eyed boy.

"Hmm…well, if we already know your last name, can we know your first?"

The boy stiffened, casting a worried glance at his still-silent companion. The dark-haired man scoffed at the child.

"Say what you want at this point, Potter. It's not like we're going to get out of this situation anytime soon."

**Harry's POV**

Glaring weakly at Snape, I couldn't help but think how, of all people, I had to be somehow brought into the past with _Severus Snape_. The deities hate me.

Turning back to the Founders, I couldn't help but notice that Salazar actually _was _staring at me with strange emotions in his quicksilver eyes. _Hopefully all those emotions pertain to hate_, I thought. _I don't have time to deal with handsome dead people._

Wait…_handsome_ dead people?

_Merlin, I'm losing my mind._

I cleared my throat, thinking of exactly what I could divulge. "My full name is Harry James Potter, and I…kind of…accidentally travelled here from the future. Ish."

Rowena, for some reason, scowled. "Damn it, I got it wrong. I was sure you were from another dimension. Thanks a lot, Harry."

Note to self: Don't ever anger Rowena Ravenclaw. Her glare is quite scary.

_Though her reason for being annoyed at me is ridiculous._

Slytherin shook his head, anger flashing in his eyes. "Nice try, child; we aren't idiots. But your lies won't be able to hold when I give you the Veritaserum."

Snape scoffed. "For once, the idiot child isn't lying. He's telling the truth."

"Thanks a lot for the vote of confidence," I muttered, looking away from everyone. They didn't need to see the sudden tears in my eyes. I quickly blinked them away, not wanting Snape to see how much his insults still hurt.

"Nevertheless," the Slytherin sneered, "I will still administer the Veritaserum now. We can do this the easy way, or I can hex you immobile, and still do this the easy way for me." His wand was out and pointing at me.

_Why, oh why, does everyone always target ME?!_ I thought in despair as my eyes widened in panic and I started to hyperventilate.

**No POV**

Godric approached Salazar, a frown marring his handsome features. "Oh, come on, Salazar, there's no need to be so nasty. Harry's just a kid. AND you can't give him a truth potion; that's illegal."

"I'll do what I like, Godric! You may consider them guests, but they are our prisoners until _I _decide what to do with them. They entered Hogwarts without our permission or knowledge; if it hadn't been for us going down for supper, they could've found us first and killed us!" the Parselmouth snarled.

"May I remind you that Hogwarts also didn't force them off her premises, once she felt them enter the castle?" Helga's soft voice interrupted them. "I trust Hogwarts. If she trusted Harry and his companion enough to allow them entry without our knowledge, then I trust them as well."

She was sitting by Harry's bed, holding the trembling boy in her arms and running her slender fingers through his unruly black hair. His eyes were still wide and his breath was irregular, while his face was so pale it resembled snow.

"Speaking of Harry's companion," Ravenclaw smiled lightly at the endearing (though slightly worrying in regards to Harry's wellbeing) scene, "what's your name?" Her question was directed at the older man still sitting with his arms crossed on the hospital bed, a glare aimed at the younger raven-haired boy.

"I am Severus Snape. I, unfortunately, was brought along with the boy by accident when he was transported here into the past." The professor's voice was silky but neutral in tone, though that changed when he turned to Harry. His entire demeanor was like ice. "I hope that teaches you to not touch unfamiliar objects, you incompetent little idiot brat."

"Mr. Snape, leave Harry be," Helga snapped uncharacteristically. She cradled the distraught Harry closer to her. "I know this situation is unpleasant for you, but take into consideration that: one, Harry is still young; two, I'm sure he didn't plan to have this happen; and three, that he is traumatized enough as it is. He doesn't need you to add to his delicate situation, especially with cruel and unnecessary insults!"

Snape was speechless, having never been put in his place before. Not to mention what a surprise it was that he was told off by such a tiny witch.

"Enough with this nonsense!" Salazar roared. What he did next was done so quickly no one saw it coming.

He pushed Godric away from him into Rowena, sending them both tumbling to the floor, where he summoned their wands and cast a strong stunning spell at them. Helga had no time to react from the freezing spell that hit her and the hex that threw her across the room that followed.

He stalked over to the green-eyed teen, and after a moment's thought, also froze Severus, who looked horror-struck at Harry.

Harry tried to escape, but Salazar had a tight grip on the boy in no time at all. His green eyes shimmered with panicked tears and he wriggled and writhed in a futile attempt to get away from the other wizard. He felt unable to get enough air into his lungs and couldn't even scream. He felt mute.

"Now, though I would be inclined to believe your companion would have more answers than you, at least you are more vulnerable to the effects of Veritaserum. I can easily see the other is a Potion Master and could've taken a potion to prevent being affected by the truth serum. Open your mouth, boy, or I will kill you, regardless of what the others will say after. I can always _Obliviate_ them if they prove too difficult to deal with." Slytherin's wand was shining against the hollow in Harry's throat.

"Too much of a coward to attempt to murder the boy with the others awake, or too weak, Slytherin?" Severus' voice was calm but furious.

**Severus' POV**

I didn't know why I was trying to save the Potter boy's life, especially without a wand, but I'm guessing the little brat's Gryffindor stupidity was rubbing off on me.

Slytherin's head snapped up to glare at me, then looked down at Potter, whose emerald-green eyes were wide and scared, tears rolling down his now-flushed cheeks. A cruel smirk touched the other man's lips, his wand tip touching the very edge of Potter's neck and dragging very lightly to the right (**A/N: Sal's right, Sev's left; since it's reversed**). A thin cut formed on the pale skin; a few blood drops escaped the open wound a few seconds later.

"Now, Snape, I can do much worse than this. I'm guessing you're at least a little fond of this child, so if you both cooperate with me, I won't hurt him. He's such a gorgeous child; his beauty mustn't go to waste this way," Salazar cooed, his wand going down the length of the teen's cheek, splitting the skin open and allowing the blood to flow and mix in with the salty tears.

My mind was racing for a way out of this situation. I couldn't risk Potter's life, but I also didn't want to spill any secrets with the Veritaserum. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the raven-haired teen's hand twitch slightly out of sight. I quickly looked elsewhere to not give away the boy when I noticed it. Something was wrong with the Slytherin's eyes.

**Harry's POV**

Trying not to make any wrong moves in case Slytherin's wand was close to my neck, I rapidly turned around in the man's grip and shot off my spell with my sneakily retrieved wand.

It hit him right between his eyes, making them glaze over and close as he passed out. His body hit the floor with a loud thud.

"That's what you get," I muttered. "I hope my _Obliviate_ spell isn't as bad as Lockhart's."

"Well done, Potter," I heard behind me. Snape was standing right behind me, his face near my right ear. "Retrieve my wand and heal your wounds while I check his mind for damage."

I hurriedly summoned the man's wand and tried to _Episkey _the cuts on my cheek and neck without a mirror. After a few failed attempts I finally managed it and turned to watch Snape as he leaned over the prone body of Slytherin.

"No damage to his mind; you erased the last few minutes from his memory completely. Now, though, hand me my wand so I can replace that space with a fake memory while you _Obliviate_ the others as well, but don't _Ennervate_ them just yet. Levitate them here and get back into that bed. Try to arrange them as close to their previous positions as possible." The professor's voice was smooth like chocolate, making his words flow over me like silk.

Had his voice always been that sinful?

I shook my head to dispel the thoughts and handed him his wand. I dutifully _Obliviated_ the last seconds from the Founders' memories before they were knocked out, and then levitated them in place like before. I climbed into the hospital bed and cuddled up to Helga's body, feeling safer. She'd said she trusted us, so I immediately felt safe with her.

Snape stood up after removing the vial of Veritaserum from Salazar's pocket and returning the other wands to their owners. He climbed into his own bed and looked over the arrangement before sighing and waving his wand to wake everyone up.

I bit my lip, wondering how this time would turn out.

_I never should've touched that damn glass ball._

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><p><strong><em>Okay, so that's the end of the chappie. Hope you guys liked it; leave me a review, please. It keeps the plot bunnies alive and me happy. Anyways, Happy New Year and I hope to see you guys still around for the next chapter! *smiles and waves*<em>**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hello, my darlings! I'm here again for the **_**_newly-established monthly update! *hands out chocolate and air-kisses* I hope you didn't miss me too little, loves. Anyway, I've recently noticed the story has started writing itself all on its own when I try to make it cooperate. Grr... Oh well. Enjoy the new chapter and REVIEW!_**

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><p><em><strong>Last time on <strong>__The Merits of Time Travel__**…**_

_**(Harry's POV)**_

_**I bit my lip, wondering how this time would turn out.**_

_**I never should've touched that damn glass ball.**_

As soon as the Founders came to, I realized Snape hadn't told me what the fake memory he had planted in Slytherin's head was. What if I answered something that contradicted with his fake memory? Or what if I acted one way, but Snape expected me to act another way? I looked up at Helga, who by this time was glaring heatedly at Snape, obviously only remembering having told him off for insulting me. The professor had a shocked look on his face, staying in character.

The tears hadn't yet dried completely from my face, and remembering the earlier scene helped bring more tears to add to my own act. "Ms. Helga, may I have a calming draught?" My voice came out small and shaky. Paired with my small body, I looked weak and defenseless. But now I had my wand tucked safely into my pocket, giving me comfort.

"Of course, little one," she murmured to me, before giving Salazar a pointed look. "Salazar."

"Helga." His voice was cool, emotionless.

Huffing, she turned to Rowena. "Please, Rowena?"

The raven-haired female nodded and walked over to the potions cabinet, selecting one and bringing it over to me. I sent her a tremulous smile of thanks and sipped at it, sighing in actual relief as it calmed my nerves. I relaxed enough to lean more comfortably against the gentle blonde's side. Her small hand brushed my hair away from my face, pausing as she felt my scar with her fingers.

"What's this scar, Harry?"

Chancing a glance at Snape, I saw his eyes were also on me, silently asking me if I was going to tell them everything. I shrugged very lightly.

**~What lie could you possibly make up now, child?~ **Salazar hissed.

I was already answering before I realized the words were out of my mouth.

**~I'm not lying, you narrow-minded idiot! We may have taken you by surprise by coming here, but it wasn't our doing; it doesn't give you the right to be a bastard to me! How come you don't pick on Snape, huh? Is it because he's an adult and I'm younger than you, therefore more vulnerable? Is that what you think?! Because I can adequately defend myself, thank you very much!~**

The following silence was nearly deafening.

_Oh, shite. Good going, Potter._

"At this point, Potter, we're going to have to start from the moment Merlin was conceived," Snape sighed.

Gryffindor snorted and stifled a guffaw, while the girls giggled quietly at both what Snape had said and the look of utter shock on Salazar's face.

Helga cleared her throat and stood up. "Why not instead of shocking us each time you open you mouth, Harry, we all go down to the Great Hall and have dinner. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm hungry, my temper's short, and this poor baby needs some food in him." Quickly, she spelled some pajamas on my body (in replacement of my robes) and pulled me out of bed by the hand, leading me like a child toward the door.

_**(No POV)**_

"Come, Mr. Snape, I'm sure you would like some sustenance as well," Rowena chirped, a smirk firmly on her face. Tugging on the man's arm, she also latched onto Godric and dragged them along out of the infirmary, pointedly ignoring Salazar's glare on her. She knew he'd follow.

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><p>After their dinner, where everyone except the Slytherin founder talked rather amiably, Helga immediately declared that their guests were tired and needed sleep in order to function properly for the tour around the castle the next day. Everyone but Salazar was rather eager to end the day, so Harry and Severus were given a personal chamber of rooms close to the founders' own chambers. When Harry wondered why they had to share chambers, Rowena gave a wicked smirk only Severus saw. Helga simply gave the teen a goodnight hug, kiss on the cheek, and gentle nudge into the quarters, smothering her own devious look.<p>

_Whatever those women are up to, I hope I don't get dragged in the crossfire. Merlin, they seem just as crazy as the females in my time! _Snape thought, shuddering in revulsion at what he imagined the female founders were thinking about Potter and him.

Once alone, and with a silencing charm up, Severus sat across from the small teen, scrutinizing him deeply. Potter squirmed slightly, his nerves pretty much eaten away as soon as his professor had warded the rooms. Hopefully, the man wouldn't just decide to murder him in this time and hide his body in an obscure hallway.

"Don't worry yourself so much, Potter; I'm not planning on killing you yet." _Yet. _Oh god.

"Do you think we'll be able to get back to our own time?" Harry asked nervously, biting down on his rosy bottom lip, not that Snape noticed, or stared, or anything.

"I am not sure at the moment," Severus said carefully, "but with no way to contact the future, and no knowledge on how that blasted glass ball works, we may be stuck here for a while."

"Oh," Harry murmured. His teeth bit harder and broke the delicate skin, forming a drop on ruby blood on his lip.

The tall man sighed and swiped his long index finger across the pouting lip, taking the blood with it. "You needn't hurt yourself, Mr. Potter. I will somehow find a way to send us back as soon as possible. For now, however, we must rest." Standing, he grabbed the young teen's robe sleeve and led him to the small hallway that held four different rooms: two bedrooms, one bathroom, and one small potions lab.

"Harry," the teen suddenly said.

"What?" Severus turned to look at the smaller male.

"Please call me Harry?" he asked tentatively. "I don't like it when you call me Potter."

Snape sighed and opened one of the large rooms, letting go of the sleeve. "Very well. You may call me by my forename as well. Now, this will be your room for now. Go to sleep, Harry, and I will see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight…Severus," Harry whispered, walking quickly into the room and closing the door.

Focusing on the rather large four-poster bed in the middle of the room, Harry jumped onto the middle, pulled the covers back and over his body, and laid his head on the downy feather pillow. Sleep consumed him.

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><p><em>Harry woke up suddenly, wand in hand. The familiar shades of Gryffindor red surrounding the sixth-year dorm made him sigh in relief. It had just been a dream. Looking over his body, he noticed that he was even wearing his own pajamas instead of the ones Helga had spelled on him. He was home, in his own time.<em>

_To his surprise, a shaking sensation started in the room. Yelping in shock, he dived under the sheets, covering his head as the shaking stopped momentarily and started again, this time harder. Clenching his eyes shut, he wondered why there was no one else in the dorm, or any noise at all, considering there was a very powerful earthquake shaking the castle. Then, he woke up._

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><p>His eyes springing open, Harry moved out of the way of the long-fingered hands that kept shaking him. Snape – or rather Severus, now.<p>

"Finally you're awake," the older man huffed. "Lady Hufflepuff has been waiting for you to wake for over two hours, Po-Harry. It is 8 am, and time for breakfast. Now get up and get ready."

"I don't want to," he mumbled, eyes already closing again as he prepared to sleep.

"Oh, no, you don't," was the last thing Harry heard before he felt like sub-zero water had been dumped all over him.

Screaming, he jumped off the bed, landing on the floor ungracefully. Shivers overran his body, his face pale with cold.

"W-why'd you d-do t-that?" Harry scowled lightly, his lips pouty and somewhat blue. Severus pointedly looked away from the pout.

"It served its purpose of waking you completely; now, get your arse off the floor and get ready to go down to the Great Hall." Severus strode out, closing the door with a smirk.

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><p><strong><em>So, uh, that's it for now. Review, please (yes, this can be considered begging) and tell me what you think about the way the story is going so far. I hope you guys haven't completely given up on this. Bye-bye!<em>**


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